FAS Asked To Cover Computer Kiosks

Faculty of Arts and Sciences Computer Services (FASCS) reluctantly covered and turned off the Science Center's iMac computer kiosks last week in response to a request from Intel, which sponsored an exhibit in the Science Center as part of the Internet and Health conference.

The iMacs are made by Intel's principal competitor, Apple, and sport highly visible logos. Nearby kiosks with less visible logos were not covered.

FASCS Director Franklin M. Steen said he felt the request unfairly impaired student usage.

"We like to maintain the facilities for students...[but we were] asked in a way that we couldn't say no," said Frankin M. Steen, director of FASCS, who said he allowed the computers to be covered "only after multiple request and great reluctance."

"Usually, if we say no, we're done, but this just didn't stop," Steen said.

Steen said Intel had brought their own covers for the kiosks, which trapped the heat the computers generated so as to make it impossible to keep them running.

Beverly J. Freeman, an independent consultant who helped organize the conference and discussed Intel's request with the company's representatives said she thought business competition was a reason for Intel's request.

"We did it as a courtesy to Intel, the sponsor of the showcases," said Freeman, who is also the former public affairs director at the School of Public Health. The request came "because [iMacs are] Apples, and Apple is a competitor."

Steen declined to identify the office of the University who instructed him to cover the computers, but Elizabeth Hess, a University Information Systems official who works for the provost's office, said she had asked Steen.

"I made the request," she said. "As a courtesy to Intel, they requested that we covered them up."

Ilene P. K. Aginsky, Intel Corporation Marketing Program Manager, said Intel had not intended for their request to disable the kiosks.

"It's just that we had our displays set up in front of them--the students can still use them," she said, unaware that the heat from the covered computers required them to be turned off.

The covers were removed about halfway through the conference. By 5 p.m. on Tuesday, some students and many more conference participants were standing in lines to check their e-mail at the uncovered kiosks.

The original plan had been to cover the computers until noon on Wednesday, when the Internet and Health conference ended.

"They were immediately full of people," Steen said.

Hess said she had requested the change once her office became aware that students needed access to the computers.

She said her handling of the initial request had been complicated by the last-minute nature of the decision-making process. At first, the display was not supposed to be in the Science Center.

"Because of the last-minute changes, we tried to accommodate Intel," Hess said. "There was no monetary pressure. It was just a courtesy to Intel because of the last-minute confusion."